I hit 1 week post reversal tomorrow. I will return to work tomorrow, so that should be interesting. Things are going well I guess, certainly a bit more difficult of a recovery compared to the vas. I went to see Dr. Raymond Costabile, head of the Urology dept. at UVA. I found him through one of his research papers on pvps. When I went for a consult, he put me at ease immediately. He was very familiar with the problem, was also very honest about my odds of pain reduction from a reversal. Interestingly, when I told him my history and multiple rounds of antibiotics, he was pissed that uros were still prescribing those on vasectomy patients, as he said he had published research proving it to be impossible for vasectomy patients to get bacterial epiditimytis a few years ago. I don’t have congestion pain since the reversal, but then again, that type of pain was not constant for me. Sometimes it would be there for weeks and then I could go a month with nothing. Hopefully it will be gone forever now. It is sensitive where he hooked up the vas on both sides. Interestingly, he did both through 1 midline incision. Also, contrary for what I find is helpful for many, tight underwear is painful for me and loose boxers are better. At any rate, I’m rambling, hopefully that answered your questions.

I’m going back to work tomorrow (5 days post) but sit most of the day. Too much stuff would pile up if I took a week.

My uro didn’t publish or anything but was very knowledgeable. He thought my problems were twofold. First I had an open ended vasectomy. He believes that the sperm leakage increase inflammation and nerve pain risk. Second he thought my first uro waited too long to start treating the pain with steroids (I never tried antibiotics). By the time I saw the current guy it was one year post vas and too late. Personally I realized it was a dumb ideas about 10 hours after the vas and always regretted it and am glad to have it reversed. Maybe if there was no pain or noticeable difference I would have passed on the reversal.

I wouldn’t say that it was less invasive. I have two good sized cuts on either side. As for treatment options before reversal he urged me to try meds (prednisone and lyrica) and then discussed all the usual options (denervement, pain management consult, cord blocks, reversal, more meds and even removak of epi). He was pretty up front though that each had drawbacks and that reversal was the best option if restoration of fertility wasn’t a concern. In that respect I guess he was less invasive. He really didn’t think denervement was a good idea based on clinical presentation afterwards.

Im still undecided on which recovery has been worse. I’m very sore still but it’s more of a surgical soreness that is gradually improving whereas after the vas my testicles just ached like crazy and were very tender for about 2 weeks. I also had a lot of BS going on right after the vasectomy but related to it that made things even crazier. So mentally I’m much better at this point post reversal. I’m definitely more bruised and discloroed now and have 2 good sized incisions. The recovery from the reversal immediately after sucked - general anesthesia is no fun. Long term will be the bigger thing it took about 8-9 months for my aches and pains to reach a flat line and level off. I’m hoping it’s not that long of a recovery for reversal.

Swelling has gone down a lot currently. The first few days my boys were enlarged a lot but are close to normal now.

Left side has a lot of bruising, but the right side seems to hurt more during the day. Kind of feels like it’s on fire sometimes. I haven’t hit two weeks even, so hopefully with time everything will calm down. Certainly more swelling and pain than the original vas, that only hurt a couple days after surgery (at least until all the other constant pain started). I think some of the discomfort might be related to the incision spot, I still have some of those dissolvable sutures in.

Had a post op consult today at 11 days post reversal. Went pretty well. Things are still inflamed so I was put on a high dose NSAID for a couple weeks. I think its to avoid further nerve issues. I asked about what he saw during the reversal and I learned a few things. First, my granuloma (left) was in there pretty good but he was able to remove it entirely. Personally I feel that caused me the most discomfort.

Second, on my left side he said that more vas had been cut out than he expected and he had to free up some length. That explains my aches on that side above my penis follwing the reversal. It also frustrates me a bit since I think it shows the first urologist wasn’t as careful as he should have been. My current doctor disagreed (quickly) that nothing was done wrong but he also is a partner of the prior urologist in a very large practice - separate offices and all that. Whatever - I’ve repaired things as best as I can and as far I can tell so far things are hanging the same as before but it just shows even more collateral damage from the vasectomy.

Third, I had an open-ended vasectomy and asked if that helped with reversal at all. He said no. On the one side the granuloma closed things off and complicated things a bit. On the other side it had closed up naturally (less than 2 years). He believes open-ended is a bad idea and led to a lot of my problems since it allow sperm to inflame things in the spermatic cord. I tend to agree and, beside being anti-vasectomy all together, would say it’s not a pre-cautionary step.

As far as recovery, I’m feeling pretty good. 11 days post vasectomy I was very sore and achy. I’m less sore now and my balls feel much better. I’m still getting aches on my left side similar to what the granuloma caused but it’s much less severe and seems to be improving. That was really embedded and there’s still a lot inflammation there so hopefully that will resolve. As to congestion type pain, I haven’t had much. In fact, the first time I felt congestion like pain was leaving the doctor - as I was a bit upset about learning that an unnecessary chunk of vas was cut out by the first urologist I think I was hyper-sensitive.

Still feeling good about the deicsion. I didn’t realize how much self-loathing was wrapped up in my regret. I used to wake up every day hating that I had a vasectomy. That feeling is gone. However, I still find myself thinking about everything a lot. As long as the pain and aches are gone I should be on the road to putting this behind. If they return, I fear I’ll have a lot of regret again. Hopefully not.

I think odds of you leaking again are low once you get through your initial recovery. You would have to blowout, or something like that to leak again once you get healed. I never leaked after either of my reversals.

Stay positive, and hope for the best. Some guys I know of that are open many years down the road swear by a anti-inflamitory diet. Perhaps something to look into if you can do it.

Update. 5 weeks post and my left side is still on fire. The left is swollen like a plum. I have a grape size hematoma on the cord on that side as well. Not sure if something went bad. I am not feeling any better. I still have prostate pain and urethra pain. Not sure if everything is still all inflamed or if I have something else wrong with me. I still can’t pee and have lots of pelvic pain. Kinda at my end to be honest. Hope everyone else is doing ok.

Thanks for the update kinda scares shit out of me as i am thinking of reversal. It appears to be hit and miss on who it fixes. Man i hope you get better because it sure is a shitty life like this, i am at 6 months of severe pain and don’t know where to go or what to do anymore.

@Markmc13 did your urologist put you on anything? I had a post op consult 10 days after and was still swollen, particularly on my left. He put me on a high dose naproxen for a couple weeks, which is basically alleve. Its helped a little and things are progressing. If he hasn’t given anything try some alleve - 2, twice a day. I don’t know if it will help with prostate and urethra pain but it should help with the swelling and hematoma pain. There must be a link with all that though. The first couple days after my reversal every time I tried to urinate I became light headed and it was uncomfortable. It’s resolved now but I never had anything like that before. Good luck and think long term!

Things are generally improving. I don’t wake up in the morning with a dull ache in my balls anymore (at least not since the surgery ache has resolved). I still get some occasional aches but not as frequently and it’s usually if I’m caught up mentally thinking about the vasectomy and reversal or have had things bunch up while slouched in my office chair. It’s certainly less frequent than before and seems to be improving.

I had a granuloma too that caused a lot of discomfort and that was removed. That area is still uncomfortable, swollen and sore and causing pain similar to before. Again, it’s not as severe. Also it’s not throbbing as much as the granuloma pain. My hope is that it’s just recoerivng from the surgery and that things are settling down. The doctor said he got it all but that it was in there good too.

I’ve been testing / using the equipment. Nothing is worse and I tend to think it’s returning to the enjoyment level I had pre vas. There’s more of a sense of relief. With the exception of 1 or 2 times there’s more volume and things seem to have regain some of its force. Not a dribble anymore.

I still have some swelling and inflammation on one side but it’s going down, albeit slowly. Still using tight underwear round the clock. Things get sore without it. The balls are also tender to even mild bumps. This has been similar to my vasectomy recovery.

Overall I don’t have any regrets about the decision for the reversal so far. Physically and mentallly I’m doing better. I will admit that going back to condoms is an adjustment but it’s one i will happily make.

Hey everyone. Its been almost 9 weeks since reversal. I wish I could tell you I was better. Sadly I have taken a turn for the worse. I followed the week bed rest to the T. I took all meds and NSAID they prescribed. My left is still swelled up like a big plum. The first couple times I got myself off it was great. Then all of a sudden I had pain starting to come in my prostate area. After I had sex with the wife, 3 days later I started to get the burning in my urethra really bad.
So now I am dealing with a hematoma and extremely large left side with burning in the urethra. I can take the ball pain. The worst in the world is the urethra pain. It hurts like no other. I went back to the local a urologist. I went back to infectious D Dr. No help. I kept in touch with my reversal Dr, which is a distance from me. He suggested that I come into him to look for strictures or something interfering with my urethra. I have had that done before. But maybe they missed it. He also said he can put some shots of something to take away the pain for a bit at least. I will take it. My mind needs a break. Only thing that helps is Gabapentin and Elavil and baclafin and prayer.
So far no good. I am still not convinced at this point that Vasectomy was my problem. My apt with the dr is this thrs I will update everyone.
I am on a quest to get better. I know everyone here is also. I had an apt this last week at john hopkins they don’t have much to help us out with. They have a nerve Dr they send people like us to. His name is Dr Rosson. He does nerve studies and blocks.

@Choohooo I would rather not say. I do not think it was anything to do with the Dr. I think I had something wrong before the surgery and thats what made it so bad. I am not sure yet. I will know more next week when I go see him. But I showed my wife the size of it and she now knows why I’m so crabby all the time. lol

Mark, if it’s of any help, please know that I had not experienced any drop in pain at my 90-day post-reversal check-up and was a mental basket case. I attained pain-free status about 4-5 months after my reversal. I’ve had 2 setbacks since then, but I’ve had 9 years pain free and 1-1/2 of more pain since then, so all in all, reversal worked out. It still may for you.

@Markmc13 l had all this with my vasectomy and more. The utethra and porostate issues eased a bit by about 4 months so you may get better. I was left with all this other bad shit for me ball pain and abdominal is killing me. But hey man dont give up keep chipping away i wont stop till i lose my balls i am not living like this.

Still here trying to get better. I have since gone in for a scope again to see if anything was missed. While I was out for it they injected me with canalog and hit me in the bladder with numbing agents to see if they could calm down the urethra pain. The week after was bad for urethra pain. The tests pain was nill. The week after I felt great. We went boating one day. I went fishing another. Went to air and sea show out to multiple dinners. Hit a concert. Played with kids. It was literally the best week of my life. Forgot what it felt like.
Also got to have Sex and it felt good. Even after.
Then of course pain came back. Tests swelled back up urethra was on fire and I hated life again!

I went to a dr at university of Miami. A family member got me in. He looked at my history and said I know what’s wrong with you. I was like ok what. He said stress. I said another one saying something crazy.
He bent me over and went in to where the pelvic floor muscles are and started massaging them. It hurt like hell. I have had it done before when I went to therapy but not like that. He showed my wife how to do it to me. Weird. I know. Then he pulled up a diagram on the computer of the pelvic floor of a man. He Showed me how all the muscles are around nerves. When the muscles get tight it pinches the nerves. He also said that the muscles also pinch the lower prostate.
Crazy I know. My p floor was all bound up. Badly. But anyone of us going through this would have this sort of tension. Since I have done my heating pad and stretchs. My wife has done the other to me every other night. She hates it but learned it well. I feel better and less tence but still have this post reversal pain and urethra pain that could kill a horse.
I go back to him Friday. I go back to the reversal dr for the injection and urethra numbing again on the 15th. I hope I get another good week or two out of it.
I don’t come on this site much because it makes my pain worse from reading all the misery we all have. Hope everyone is ok and getting better.